Celebrate a Victorian Christmas with Miss Mary
And be sure to visit the Victorian Christmas Gift Shop to pick up a little memento of your visit.
November 5th, 2006
His Christmas Presents
By R. K. Munkittrick
I’ve got a lovely baseball and a bat
To make my spirits flow with feelings glad–
Alas! ah, little me! in spite of that,
At heart I’m very sad.
My mother, though she’s always more than kind,
Should more consistent and more thoughtful be.
I know her tender love for me is blind,
Or she would surely see
That it is never, never right at all,
Upon this bright and glorious Christmas day,
To give a lovely shining bat and ball
To gild my hours of play…
She won’t let me play ball in-doors–oh, dear,
The vases all as precious are as gold!
She won’t let me play ball out-doors, for fear
I’ll catch my death of cold.
From Harper’s Young People, 1894
NOTE: The vintage Christmas illustration above can be found in our clip art shop.
Add comment November 11th, 2007
Winter and the Children
This image is in our clip art shop.
Old Winter, in his coat so white,
Is knocking at the door to-night.
CHILDREN
“Ah, Mr. Winter! is that you?
Glad are we to see you,–how do you do?
We thought you a long way off, you know,
Yet here you are all covered with snow;
And, since you are come, you may just tell us all
What you have brought for us children small.”
WINTER
“Oh! I have brought you more than you can take,–
A Christmas merry, with pies, fruit and cake;
And plenty of nice, smooth, slippery ice,
Where you can catch a tumble in a trice.
Now you may slide, and make snow-balls beside,
And on your sleds have many a ride;
Make a snow-house and a snow-man too;
Such are the gifts that Winter brings to you.”
Add comment November 18th, 2006
Christmas Hymn
Hark! what bells of joy we hear
On this day to children dear!
All the ground with snow is white:
Let our hearts be pure and light!
Jesus Christ was born this day;
He to heaven doth lead the way;
Let us try to do his will,
And his law of love fulfill.
Add comment November 18th, 2006
The Snowdrop
Download a high resolution clip art image of the Snowdrop
The botanical name, Galanthus, is taken from the Greek, and signifies milk-flower.
So many of our young friends have asked us to show them a snowdrop, that we have had this picture made for them. Can they tell which are the flowers of the plant, and which are the leaves?
Add comment November 18th, 2006
The Christmas Fairy of Strasburg
A German Folk-Tale by J. Stirling Coyne, Adapted by Frances Jenkins Olcott
Once, long ago, there lived near the ancient city of Strasburg, on the river Rhine, a young and handsome count, whose name was Otto. As the years flew by he remained unwed, and never so much as cast a glance at the fair maidens of the country round; for this reason people began to call him “Stone-Heart.”
Add comment November 6th, 2006
Time and Love
by “A. M.,” published in The Girl’s Own Paper, 1885
How many a Christmas has the old clock seen,
And always with the same unchanging face!
Come, let us wreathe him round with evergreen,
And do him honour for a little space.
Yet what is Time to Love? And Love is here,
To give us happy Christmas, glad new year.
Add comment November 6th, 2006
The Distribution of Christmas Gifts
It undoubtedly adds to the pleasure of Christmas present-giving, and especially if there be young folks in the household, to adopt some original mode of presenting the gifts. The following suggestions as to the distribution of Christmas gifts might also be useful in connection with Sunday school or church Christmas festivals, when novelty in presentation of gifts always adds materially to the pleasure of the occasion.
Add comment November 6th, 2006
Christmas Decorations
As published in The Cottage Hearth, December 1875
In every household we would strongly urge the use of Christmas decorations. All, from the oldest to the youngest, should unite in the work of gathering and preparing the decorations. There is much pleasure in united home-work; and great good will surely come from a general, cheerful observance of anniversaries in the home. And we should enlarge our sympathies, embracing some in our kindly remembrance outside our immediate family. Christmas decorations make the rooms seem cheery and homelike, and in the work itself of preparing them there is a positive pleasure. Any such work of home interest strengthens the home love. It makes happier and better children, as well as truer, more devoted parents.
Add comment November 5th, 2006
